Through the quiet streets of Somba K’e, the morning frost crunches beneath our boots as Elder Sarah Tlokka leads our small group toward the healing garden behind Yellowknife’s Tree of Peace Friendship Centre. Steam rises from cups of Labrador tea as we gather in a circle, the sun barely cresting the horizon. It’s the first morning of National Addictions Awareness Week, and across the Northwest Territories, communities are coming together to launch what many hope will become a transformative approach to addiction support.
“In our way, healing doesn’t happen alone,” says Tlokka, her voice soft but resolute as she gestures to the people around us. “When someone struggles with addiction, it’s not just their journey. It’s about restoring their connections—to family, to community, to the land.”
This philosophy lies at the heart of the NWT’s ambitious “Anchoring Hope” initiative, unveiled yesterday by the territorial government as the centerpiece of National Addictions Awareness Week 2025, running November 17-23. The program represents a significant shift from previous approaches, integrating traditional Indigenous knowledge systems with clinical best practices to create what Health Minister Diane Thom describes as “a web of support that honors both evidence and cultural wisdom.”
The timing couldn’t be more critical. Recent data from the NWT Bureau of Statistics shows substance use disorders affecting approximately 19% of the territory’s population, nearly double the national average. More troubling still, the Canadian Institute for Health Information reports that hospitalization rates for substance-related harms in the NWT remain among the highest in Canada, with particularly devastating impacts in smaller communities.
Behind these statistics are stories of intergenerational trauma, isolation, and the ongoing legacy of colonial policies. Yet equally present are stories of resilience, cultural reclamation, and community-led healing—elements that the new initiative seeks to amplify.
“For too long, we’ve treated addiction as either a moral failing or a purely medical condition,” explains Dr. Marie Catholique, an Inuvialuit physician who helped design the program. “But here in the North, we understand it’s much more complex. Anchoring Hope acknowledges that healing happens through relationships—to each other, to culture, to place.”
The initiative represents a $7.2 million investment spread across three years, with funding secured through a combination of territorial resources and federal support through the Canadian Substance Use and Addictions Program. What makes it distinctive is its community-directed approach: rather than imposing uniform solutions, each of the NWT’s 33 communities receives resources to develop localized programs guided by seven core principles.
In Fort Good Hope, this means the creation of a land-based healing program where Elders and youth counselors work together to support those in recovery. In Inuvik, it translates to a new peer support network operating alongside the existing treatment center. And in Yellowknife, it includes the expansion of the Healing Drum program, which has shown promising results in helping people maintain sobriety through cultural reconnection.
I spent last Tuesday afternoon at the Healing Drum program, where participants gather weekly to learn traditional songs, stories, and drumming techniques. Thomas Neyelle, who has been in recovery for three years, credits the program with helping him maintain sobriety when other approaches failed.
“When I drum, I feel connected to something bigger than myself,” Neyelle tells me as he carefully adjusts the tension on his drum skin. “It’s not just about not drinking. It’s about remembering who I am and where I come from.”
This emphasis on identity and belonging represents a significant departure from purely clinical approaches to addiction treatment. Research from the Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health suggests that culturally-grounded interventions show particular promise in Indigenous communities, where substance use disorders often intertwine with historical trauma and cultural disconnection.
Yet challenges remain. The vast geography of the Northwest Territories means that specialized services remain concentrated in regional centers, creating barriers for those in more remote communities. Transportation challenges, limited healthcare infrastructure, and the high cost of living in the North all complicate service delivery.
“We’re under no illusion that this initiative solves everything,” admits Thom. “But it represents a meaningful step toward a more holistic approach—one that recognizes addiction as not just a health issue but a community issue.”
The week’s events include community feasts, workshops, youth-led discussions, and healing circles across the territory. In Behchokǫ̀, a 24-hour prayer ceremony will honor those lost to addiction. In Fort Smith, high school students are organizing a “Voices of Recovery” art exhibition. And in nearly every community, “anchoring ceremonies” will invite residents to symbolically place stones representing their commitments to supporting those affected by addiction.
Back at the healing garden in Yellowknife, Elder Tlokka offers tobacco to the fire as our morning circle comes to a close. “When someone is drowning, you don’t just throw them a life preserver,” she says. “You bring them to shore. You wrap them in warmth. You stay with them until they find their strength again. That’s what ‘Anchoring Hope‘ means to me—not just saving lives, but holding space for healing.”
As the Northwest Territories continues navigating the complex challenges of addiction, the success of this initiative will ultimately be measured not just in statistics, but in stories—stories of communities coming together, of cultural knowledge reclaimed, and of individuals finding their way back to themselves, one connection at a time.
For more information on National Addictions Awareness Week events in your community, visit the Government of the Northwest Territories website or contact your local health center.
